Hurrican Katrina

From the time of Hurricane Katrina to present, organizations started implementing information technology management policies and processes to make sure that the right information is being stored for the business to continue. Calamities, man-made or natural, impacts businesses every time it strikes. Companies are aware of this and most have business continuity contingencies in place. However, the reality of the impact of these calamities was highlighted after Katrina.

The main question in the minds of business is how they can leverage their existing technologies when these tragedies happen and what they can further improve or add in their existing technological infrastructure to minimize their losses and to fill in the business continuity gap.

1) Discuss the hurricane’s impact on businesses and how it may have set about technology change in business?

Hurricane Katrina made landfall on 29 August 2005 near Buras, Louisiana and had unleashed widespread devastation across the region affecting 138 counties and parishes for about 93,000 miles (Garber et al, p. 1). It is considered as the costliest hurricane with about $96 billion in damage to property, infrastructure, environment, communications and human displacement (p. 2). About 190,000 people lost their jobs and affected the unemployment rate of the area by 30% (Herman). Business continuity has become one of the major concerns of businesses after a calamity has struck a nation. This is true for the country when Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana. Suddenly, businesses have to look hard into business continuity and how their businesses should prepare when it comes to these kinds of situations. When one talk about business continuity and risks that the company needs to mitigate, it normally focuses on technology.

2) Data back-up and recovery is a process. How might that have changed for some companies as a result of the hurricane?

Companies that use information technology have regular back-up plans and...